The present invention is in the field of data processing systems and, in particular, to systems, methods, media, and apparatuses for disabling camera functionality in a portable device such as a mobile phone.
Portable electronic devices have become ubiquitous in modern society. Mobile phones, in particular, continue to dramatically increase in usage as costs are lowered, functionality is improved, and the availability of alternatives such as pay phones has decreased. These mobile phones (also known as cell phones) allow users to have greater mobility while still maintaining communication with friends, co-workers, or others. Many users carry their mobile phones with them at all times, including while at work, at home, on vacation, or anywhere else. The mobile phone market is highly competitive and manufacturers and providers continually add new features, and enhance existing ones, to make mobile phones an all-in-one communication and media device.
One specific feature that is now common on most mobile phones is a digital camera and/or camcorder to record still or video pictures. The amount of photographs or video that can be recorded is typically only limited by the memory of the device. Camera resolution is also being enhanced, with many models delivering high-resolution photographs of two megapixels (2 MP) or more. By using additional memory cards, a user can now capture hours of video or hundreds of photographs using their mobile phone or other portable electronic device.
The ability of users to easily record photographs and/or video on handheld devices presents a significant new kind of security challenge for businesses, corporate facilities, or other locations where picture taking is typically strictly prohibited or otherwise limited. These types of locations may include museums, factories, government facilities, or office buildings as typical examples. For many of these locations, the security risk is that portable device users can easily copy and misappropriate trade secret or other corporate proprietary information. For other locations, security personnel may be concerned that users threaten the privacy of others, present a terrorism threat, threaten a commercial interest or copyright interest because of misappropriation of images (e.g., concert venues or museums), or other risk. The increasing prevalence and variety of camera-enabled portable devices presents security personnel with a constantly changing security threat.
Currently, security personnel must determine which devices may present a security threat and which devices are permissible, a process which may prove difficult as more and more devices become enabled with still or video cameras. Security personnel often collect those devices which they determine to present a security threat at a front entrance or security desk and allow the owner to pick up their confiscated device when they leave the secure facility. This prevents users of confiscated devices from using their cameras in the secured facility. This approach can be flawed from a security standpoint, however, as security personnel may not catch all cameras entering the facility. From the standpoint of users, this approach is also flawed as the user must remember to pick up their camera-enabled device when the leave the facility. More importantly for some users, they must also be without their camera-enabled device and all of its other functionality while they are in the facility. For a user that relies on their mobile phone for many purposes, the requirement to leave their mobile phone at the security desk can be onerous as the user cannot make or receive calls from the phone, may be without calendaring functions or contact lists, or may lose access to other features embedded in the device. The burden on the user may encourage some users to attempt to smuggle their mobile phones in the facility, increasing the security risk. There is, therefore, a need for an effective and efficient solution for securing camera-enabled portable devices in certain locations.